Workforce Solutions Jam | Provider Voices on AI: Real-World Insights for the Behavioral Health Workforce 

Allie Franklin, MSW, LICSW, Managing Director, Health Management Associates

Allie Franklin is a licensed clinical social worker with decades of experience in public, private, and nonprofit behavioral health, healthcare, and social service organizations. She has led transformations in integrated care through modernizing processes, systems, workflows, policies, and organizational approaches to achieve positive outcomes. Ms. Franklin brings a perspective of clinical, operational, and strategic expertise, having worked on the clinical front lines and risen to roles of senior and executive leadership. She has the ability to support planning and implementation of solutions from system- and organization-wide approaches to day-to-day clinical-level work.  

Prior to joining HMA, Ms. Franklin served as the behavioral health service line administrator for the University of Washington’s Harborview Medical Center, the region’s only level one trauma center. This role encompassed inpatient behavioral healthcare, emergency psychiatric services, a full outpatient clinic, and scattered-site integrated behavioral health and primary care. She managed a project for the Behavioral Health Institute through the Center of Excellence service line to bring together multiple stakeholders to redesign Washington state’s behavioral health crisis system in preparation for 988 crisis line rollout. 

Sarah Hudson Scholle, DrPH, MPH, Principal, Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company

Sarah Hudson Scholle is a principal based in Washington, D.C., specializing in supporting multi-sector alliances to promote improvement in quality, equity, and person-centered health care. 

Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company, Dr. Hudson Scholle was vice president of research and analysis at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). She led a portfolio of quantitative and qualitative research that contributed to national thought leadership in quality and equity, contributed to program development and policy action, and resulted in numerous peer-reviewed studies. Specifically, Dr. Hudson Scholle led projects to develop and test quality measures, including those subsequently adopted into national programs. Her content expertise includes mental health, substance use, child health, care coordination, and patient-reported outcomes. 

Dr. Hudson Scholle led research underpinning NCQA’s health equity accreditation program and supported Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) Office of Minority Health on contracts to identify disparities, develop methods for characterizing equity, and identify opportunities for policy change. Her work on primary care practice systems contributed to the development of the patient-centered medical home program. She also led studies to understand barriers to implementation of quality initiatives in multiple settings. 

Shalom Lichtenstein, MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified Registered Nurse, Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse

Shalom Lichtenstein, MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, is a Lakewood, NJ–based nurse practitioner who bridges primary and psychiatric care. He sees behavioral health patients at CHEMED Health Center, with pediatric and family services through Precious Health, and also maintains an independent family practice. Shalom focuses on culturally responsive, whole-person care that connects mental and physical health for patients of all ages.  
 

Judy Tejada, Vice President for Clinical Operations, Horizon Corporations

Judy Tejada began working at the Horizon Corporations in 2000. As the Vice President for Clinical Operations,  Judy is responsible for clinical programming, risk management, clinical onboarding and training and development. In addition to her administrative responsibilities as a Licensed Mental Health clinician, Judy maintains a private practice caseload through Horizon Therapy Associates. Prior to her work with Horizon, Judy worked in higher education. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from The College of Wooster, a Master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from The Ohio State University, and a Master’s degree in Counselor Education from Canisius College. 

Levi Van Dyke, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW)

Levi Van Dyke is Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW). He has spent the past 17 years working in crisis services throughout the State of Washington.  

VOAWW operates a crisis contact center based in Everett, WA that answers over 20,000 inbound contacts per month across multiple lines of service. VOAWW is currently a national backup chat/text center and covers the entire state of Washington for 988 chat and text services. The center also provides primary 988 phone coverage for 32 of the 39 counties in Washington, Regional Crisis Line services for three Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations, and operates the Native and Strong Lifeline, offering culturally informed and specific services from Tribal crisis counselors for Washington’s indigenous residents.  

Levi currently serves as Vice President of the National Association of Crisis Organization Directors (NASCOD) board and sits on numerous national, state, and regional crisis and behavioral health committees. He has dedicated significant time working with leadership and professional development programs and spent six years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Levi is a Washington State University alumnus (Go Cougs!) and received his graduate degree from Eastern Washington University.